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Thursday, August 22, 2013

One Simple Tip to Boost Your Success

“ Success begets success” ~Anonymous

Do you know why “Anonymous” said this? Because any one of us
could have said it, we’ve all experienced it. Think about a time when you’ve
tried to do something new. If it was hard (success was more difficult), you may
have given up, or at least found yourself dreading the idea of doing it again,
but if it came easily (success was easier), you may have continued, or at least
tried again. Success encourages us. It gives us hope, highlights our
accomplishments, and makes us feel capable.

Most definitions of success include the words “prosperity”,
“popularity”, “wealth”, and “goals”, however, I think being successful includes
far more than having an outcome that involves money or everyone thinking we’re
swell. Success moves beyond achieving goals, and into the realm of interaction
with others, perception of self, and a life lived with depth and meaning.

Success is so much more than just performance, prosperity, and popularity

I continually assess my success, sometimes haphazardly, and
in a few instances, with repeatable certainty. For example, every year, I do a
“success inventory”, a process in which I take time to give myself kudos. I do my success
inventory on a special day, my birthday. I don’t know about you, but to me,
birthdays mean a lot! I love spending time with family and friends and visiting
special places. Birthdays also offer a clean slate, a new year, and provide a
marvelous opportunity to reflect and grow.

So, as Earth begins its course around the sun again, I take
time to reflect on my previous revolution, and set seeds of intention for my
annual adventure. Several weeks prior to my birthday I begin asking myself
questions to get my brain thinking (check out “One Small Step Can Change YourLife” by Robert Maurer.) I don't’ have to find the answers right away, I just
want my brain to chew on the questions for a while, ‘stirring the pot’ so to
speak.

I start to think about what I accomplished, where I fell
short, the challenges and unexpected opportunities that arose, and whether I
reacted or responded to them, and how. I ask myself, “What was the general tone
of my year in terms of my emotions”. I consider how my interpersonal
relationships played out, where I need to take responsibility, and where I need
to let go and not get caught up in drama – even If that drama is only in my
head.

On the day of my birthday, I start out by creating sacred
space. Whether at home, or a location like the beach or park, I lay out a
cloth, using a material I love, select iconic items that have meaning for me,
and light a candle. The candle reminds me to bring in the light, positive
energy. Often times I will include a natural item such as a flower, leaf, or
seashell, something that reminds me of my connection to the world around me.

Rituals support humans in their daily life

Once my sacred space is set, I allow myself to settle, spending
time in meditation, either a mindfulness meditation, a guided visualization, or
centering prayer. With that done, I begin to free write, allowing myself to
remember my year; sometimes I will go month to month from
my last birthday, other times I will notice the highlights first. What I’ve
found, is that usually, I’ve had an amazingly successful year, not just because
I’ve accomplished goals, but because even in my trying, difficult times, I realize that
I’ve learned something, or taken away something of value that makes me a better
person today. I end my ritual by considering how I would like my next year to
flow – I don’t list goals per se, but
rather, I set a tone, and come up with words that indicate my intentions.This year I decided to focus on being
joyous, inspired and confident; ultimately with those intentions I will be
successful.

By engaging in my annual ritual, I recognize that “success”
means so much more than accomplishing a goal, obtaining wealth, or becoming popular
– success is a quality, a timber that defines my experiences. To be kind, is to
be successful. To be happy, is to be successful. To be connected with others,
empathizing, celebrating, contributing, is to be successful. I’ve had a rich
and marvelously successful year, and I’ve accomplished quite a bit too!

Practice engaging your inner wisdom:

What does success mean to you? How do you measure your
success? Do you engage in a birthday ritual, or other rituals to give yourself
credit for your success? Have you ever considered doing a “success inventory” –
try them daily, weekly, monthly, or annually – by taking stock of your success,
you will bring about more success.

3 comments:

"I don’t list goals per se, but rather, I set a tone, and come up with words that indicate my intentions."

I've been doing this too. :) I picked 3 words for my "tone of the year": focus, simplify & create. For me, those 3 words in combination mean to focus on what is truly important to me, simplify my life and clear out all the clutter/non-essentials that are taking up my time, space & energy better used elsewhere and making a real commitment to my art & creativity.

For me, "success" is about achieving the maximum level of happiness I can in this life, and dare I say, "inner peace."

Hi Khryseis_Astra:thanks for sharing this! I'm inspired by your comment "For me,'success' is about achieving the maximum level of happiness I can in this life, and dare I say, 'inner peace'" - you have made my point exactly. Success can be measured in myriad ways.

I also read, in "Awakening Joy" by James Baraz, that "neuroscience sells us that setting an intention 'primes' our nervous system to be on the lookout for whatever will support what we intend to create for ourselves". Assuming this is true, then just by setting intentions, we create an opportunity for them to manifest! Gotta love that.Thank you for commenting, I appreciate staying connected.

It may seem silly, as the co-author of this blog, to leave a comment on your post, but I think you have started an important thread with this post. I believe that, if people reevaluated their definition of "success", they would find themselves in a much happier position overall.

I am excited that, over the next few months, we will be examining this idea in more detail. Thank you for getting the ball rolling!